Red Sparrow

Red Sparrow
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFrancis Lawrence
Screenplay byJustin Haythe
Based onRed Sparrow
by Jason Matthews
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJo Willems
Edited byAlan Edward Bell
Music byJames Newton Howard
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • February 15, 2018 (2018-02-15) (Newseum)
  • March 2, 2018 (2018-03-02) (United States[1])
Running time
140 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Russian
Budget$69 million[3]
Box office$151.6 million[3]

Red Sparrow is a 2018 American spy thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Justin Haythe, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Jason Matthews. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons, and Ciarán Hinds. It tells the story of a former ballerina turned Russian intelligence officer, who is sent to make contact with a CIA officer in the hope of discovering the identity of a mole.

Matthews, a former member of the CIA, advised the production on the depiction of spying. Based on historic Soviet sexpionage and contemporary Russian use of kompromat, filming took place in Hungary, Slovakia and Austria.

Red Sparrow premiered at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on February 15, 2018, and was released in the United States on March 2, 2018. The film grossed $151 million worldwide, becoming a modest box-office success, and received mixed reviews from critics, who described it as having "more style than substance" and criticized the film's long runtime and over-reliance on graphic violence and sex, although Lawrence's performance was praised.[4][5]

  1. ^ Lang, Brent (April 22, 2017). "Steven Spielberg Pentagon Papers Drama Gets 2017 Oscar Season Release". Variety. Archived from the original on April 23, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "RED SPARROW (2018)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Red Sparrow (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  4. ^ Waters, Michael (February 16, 2018). "'Red Sparrow': What the Critics Are Saying". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "'Red Sparrow' Review Roundup: What the Critics Are Saying". Variety. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.